Duct-diffuser attachment means



6, 966 c. w. PALMQUIST 3,266,408

DUCT-DIFFUSER ATTACHMENT MEANS Filed May 28, 1964 o o o------ INVENTOR. CARL W. PALMQUIST ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,266,408 DUCT-DIFFUSER ATTACHMENT MEANS Carl W. Palmquist, Clarks Summit, Pa., assignor to Dynamics Corporation .of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,917 4 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention relates to air ventilating apparatus and deals more particularly with a novel attachment means for joining an air diffuser with an air duct.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a duct-diffuser attachment means which permits an air difiuser to be quickly assembled with a fibrous air ventilating duct encompassed by a sheet metal shield.

Another general object of the present invention is to provide a duct-diffuser attachment means which utilizes the inherent resiliency of a sheet metal shield surrounding a fibrous duct to support an air diffuser in an elongated opening in the duct.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a duct-diffuser attachment means which does not interfere with the air flow emanating from the diffuser.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of a tubular duct having an air diffuser mounted therein according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the duct-diffuser attachment means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is aside view of the clip shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the clip shown in FIG. 3 taken along the line 4-4 of that figure; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the sheet metal shield shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows the lower portion of an air ventilating duct having an air diffusing unit 12 mounted therein according to the present invention. While the construction shown is best suited for use in a room where the duct itself is to be exposed, it will be apparent that other diffuser units might be designed for discharging air beneath a false or hung ceiling in the event that the supply duct 10 is to be hidden from the view of those in the room to be ventilated. Thus, it should be noted that the diffuser unit shown is intended to be illustrative only and that other diffuser units might be employed to advantage in practicing the present invention.

As shown, the duct 10 comprises a tubular liner 14 of glass fiber construction impregnated with a suitable resin to maintain its tubular shape. An elongated opening 16 is defined along the bottom side of the liner to receive the diffuser unit 12 to be described. A perforated sheet metal shield 18 encompasses the fibrous duct liner 14 and is attached along it marginal side portions 20, 20 to the diffuser unit 12 by means to be described herein. A plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 21, 21 are defined in these side portions.

The diffuser unit 12 comprises two longitudinally extending side members 22, 22 which are generally similar but oppositely arranged as shown to define an air diffuser therebetween. The side members 22, 22 are held in later ally spaced relationship by a plurality of longitudinally spaced cross members such as the one shown at 24 in FIG. 1. Each such cross member 24 is riveted to each side member 22 as indicated at 26, 26. An upwardly extending notch 28 is defined in the lower edge of each cross member to receive a T-shaped member 30 which is removably held therein by a spring 32. As so arranged ventilating air in the duct 10 will be discharged laterally outwardly as well as downwardly for efiicient mixing of the ventilating air with the air in the room.

Ventilating air flow control is obtained in the diffuser shown by the provision of vanes 34, 34 pivotably mounted in longitudinally extending sockets 35, 35 provided therefor in the side members 22, 22. Two springs 36, 36 act between said side members and the vanes 34, 34 to retain them in their respective sockets 35, 35 and to maintain the vanes at an angular position corresponding to the air flow requirements of a particular installation.

Turning now to the duct-diffuser attachment means of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a preferred construction wherein said side members 22, 22 include flange means 38, 38 extending laterally onutwardly therefrom with respect to the air diffuser defined therebetween. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of said flange means 38 is adapted to engage the outer surface 40 of the duct liner 14 adjacent to the bottom opening defined in the liner. As shown, that portion of the liners outer surface which is so engaged conforms to the contour of the upper side of the flange means 38 due to the liners resiliency.

With further reference to the flange means 38, each of these will be seen to comprise upper and lower leg portions, 38a and 38b respectively, which define an elongated opening or slot therebetween to accommodate a marginal side portion 20 of the shield 18. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper leg 38a defines a generally concave upper side or wall of said slot and a downwardly depending lip 39a at the outer end thereof defines a first inwardly facing bearing surface the function of which will 'be described hereinbelow. The lower leg 38b is preferably shorter than the upper leg 38a to facilitate the as sembly of the shield with the diffuser. An upstanding lip 3% at the outer end of said lower leg 38b defines a second inwardly facing bearing surface the function of which will be described hereinbelow.

A U-shaped clip 42, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is also provided for entry in the above-described flange slot. The clip 42 has two legs, 44 and 46 of such length that the end portion of each is adapted to bear outwardly against the inwardly facing lip defined bearing surfaces on the upper and lower flange legs, 38a and 38b respectively.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided on each of a plurality of such clips for engaging the outer edge of each of the shield openings 21, 21. As shown, said means comprise an inwardly turned tab 48 defined in the longer of the clips two legs 44 and so located therealong as to lockingly engage said shield opening 21 as best shown in FIG. 2.

Each clip 42 is preferably fabricated from spring steel and stress relieving holes 50, 50 are provided at the ends of the parallel cuts made in the longer leg 44 thereof. The clip is shown in its unstrained position in FIG. 3, while FIG. 2 shows the end portions of the legs 44 and 46 clamped together by the upper and lower flange legs 38a and 38b. In the clamped position shown the clip legs are urged away from one another by reason of the clips inherent resiliency so that the end portions thereof can bear against the bearing surface described previously.

The clip legs are urged towards the left in FIG. 2 by the resilient sheet metal shield 18. The outer edge of each shield opening 21 is engaged by the clip tab 48 and the natural tendency for the sheet metal shield to unroll urges the clip in this direction retaining the clip between the flange legs 38a and 38b. This tendency on the part of the shield 18 to unroll is further heightened by the staggered lips 39a and 39b of the upper and lower flange legs 38a and 38b respectively. The inner ends of each of these lips, 39a and 39b, engage spaced points on the shield 18 whereby the curvature of the shield is accentuated in this area to provide additional means for retaining the clip between the flange legs 38a and 38b.

In assembling a duct and diffuser with the attachment means of the present invention, a plurality of clips, such as the one just described, are preferably mounted along the marginal side portions 20, 20 of the sheet metal shield 18 as shown in FIG. 5. The shield is then wrapped around the fibrous duct liner 14 and the side portions 20, 20 inserted in the slotted flange means 38 provided therefor at the sides of the air diffuser unit 12.

In conclusion, it should be noted that although the present invention is described with reference to an air supply duct for the delivery of air to a space to be ventilated, the said invention is also adapted for use with an air return or exhaust duct. In this vein, the terms diffuser and means defining a diffuser as used in the appended claims are intended to define means suitable for either admitting air into such a space, or for exhausting air therefrom.

The invention claimed is:

1. A duct-diffuser attachment means comprising a fibrous duct liner defining a passageway therethrough, said duct liner defining an elongated bottom opening in communication with said passageway, a sheet metal shield surrounding said liner and of elongated rectangular planform when laid fiat, said shield having marginal side portions which define longitudinally spaced openings, means defining an elongated air diffuser for insertion in said elongated bottom opening, said air diffuser defining means including side flanges for engaging the adjacent outer surface of the fibrous duct liner, each of said side flanges including upper and lower legs which define an elongated slot therebetween, a plurality of resilient U-shaped clips adapted to be received and held in said slots at spaced locations therealong corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said shield openings, each of said clips including means for engaging an outer edge of one of said shield openings whereby said shield marginal side portions are adapted to be retained in said slots and said diffuser defining means retained in said elongated bottom opening.

2. A duct-diffuser attachment means as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper flange legs is longe: than its associated lower flange leg.

3. A duct-difluser attachment means as set forth in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped clips have upper and lower legs and wherein said upper and lower flange legs define lip means for retaining said upper and lower clip legs in each of said flange defined slots.

4. A duct-diffuser attachment means comprising a tu bular duct liner of glass fiber construction, said liner having a bottom opening extending longitudinally therealong, a sheet metal shield surrounding said liner and of rectangular planform when laid flat, marginal side portions of said shield defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings therein, longitudinally extending side members spaced apart laterally to define an air diffuser therebetween, each of said side members having flange means extending laterally outwardly therefrom and adapted to engage the outer surface of said duct liner when said air diffuser is inserted in said bottom opening, said flange means including upper and lower legs spaced apart vertically to define two elongated slots therebetween for receiving said marginal side portions of said shield, a plurality of U-shaped clips arranged at spaced locations along said slots corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said shield openings, each of said clips defining an inwardly turned tab for engaging the outer edge of one of said shield openings whereby each shield marginal side portion is retained in one of said slots and said diffuser defining side members are retained in said elongated bot- I tom opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN F. OCONNOR, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DUCT-DIFFUSER ATTACHMENT MEANS COMPRISING A FIBROUS DUCT LINER DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH, SAID DUCT LINER DEFINING AN ELONGATEED BOTTOM OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY, A SHEET METAL SHIELD SURROUNDING SAID LINER AND OF ELONGATED RECTANGULAR PLANFORM WHEN LAID FLAT, SAID SHIELD HAVING MARGINAL SIDE PORTIONS WHICH DEFINE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPENINGS, MEANS DEFINING AN ELONGATED AIR DIFFUSER FOR INSERTION IN SAID ELONGATED BOTTOM OPENING, SAID AIR DIFFUSER DEFINING MEANS INCLUDING SIDE FLANGES FOR ENGAGING THE ADJACENT OUTER SURFACE OF THE FIBROUS DUCT LINER, EACH OF SAID SIDE FLANGES INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER LEGS WHICH DEFINE AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREBETWEEN, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT U-SHAPED CLIPS ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED AND HELD IN SAID SLOTS AT SPACED LOCATIONS THEREALONG CORRESPONDING TO THE LONGITUDINAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID SHIELD OPENINGS, EACH OF SAID CLIPS INCLUDING MEANS FOR ENGAGING AN OUTER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SHIELD OPENINGS WHEREBY SAID SHIELD MARGINAL SIDE PORTIONS ARE ADAPTED TO BE RETAINED IN SAID SLOTS AND SAID DIFFUSER DEFINING MEANS RETAINED IN SAID ELONGATED BOTTOM OPENING. 